ANC and DA reach deal to form South African government of national unity

South Africa’s governing party, the African National Congress (ANC), has reached a deal with the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) to form a government of national unity, officials say.

This comes after weeks of speculation about who the ANC would partner with after losing its parliamentary majority for the first time in 30 years, in last month’s elections.

It got 40% of the vote, while the DA came second with 22%.

This paves the way for ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa to remain president.

An alliance between the DA, a centre-right party, and the ANC, is unprecedented as the two parties have been rivals for decades.

Despite the bitter history, DA leader John Steenhuisen said the deal was a “new chapter in our history”.

The deal will also include the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), a conservative party with a strong Zulu base, which got 4% of the vote.

South African news website News24 says the agreement covers the division of posts in the government, as well as the provincial governments in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.